Why do people believe bullshit? The problem of
producing it is covered in Harry G. Frankfurt's On
Bullshit, but why believe it?

It looks as if believing an organization's bullshit
is an inexpensive way to signal loyalty to the
organization. Signaling through contribution requires
skill×effort. Believing bullshit requires
little effort and there's no multiplier for skill.

Although signaling loyalty through bullshit-belief
can be a good strategy for a member, there are
clearly adverse consequences for the organization.
The organization fails to capture extra, potentially
useful, work done as a by-product of loyalty signaling
through contribution. Ineffective managers within
the organization can manage based on loyalty as
shown through bullshit-belief rather than having
to evaluate results. And members make incorrect
decisions based on bullshit, not reality.

The obvious answer is for the organization to produce
less bullshit. Most of the time, the decision to
believe something isn't based on what belief is
correct, but on what belief shows loyalty. If the
bullshit isn't there, the opportunity to believe
it is gone. However, much as it would help to have
fewer opportunities for members to signal loyalty by
bullshit-belief, the organization may need to continue
to produce bullshit for other reasons.

A more realistic answer is to give members
opportunities for showing loyalty that do not require
either effort, which is costly, or bullshit-belief,
which is harmful. For example, provide silly-looking
clothing for members—anything that people would
choose to wear only to show loyalty, and not for other
reasons. Or invite members to participate in rituals,
as in agile software development methodologies.